Liberals give up majority on committee that will study changes to Canada’s voting system
Posted June 2, 2016 8:45 am.
Last Updated June 2, 2016 8:50 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – The Trudeau government is giving in to opposition pressure and sacrificing its majority on a committee that will look into changing the way you vote.
For months, opposition parties had been criticizing the government, accusing it of stacking the deck to get a new voting system that would benefit the Liberals.
Initially, the government said it was taking the same approach as all committees and making its membership reflective of the make up of the House of Commons.
But today, Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef made the concession and announced they would support the NDP motion. “The government will not have a majority on the committee. Hopefully, this will assure members that the government comes to this process with an open mind.”
“I’ve been persuaded that an additional way to demonstrate our commitment to inclusivity is to break with tradition and to have both the Bloc (Quebecois) and the Green (party) as full voting members,” Monsef told the House of Commons.
Monsef acknowledged that the changes would replace a government majority with a majority of opposition members, but she said to focus on that would be to miss the point.
“The issue is that every member, regardless of party, must combine their partisan perspective with meeting the important need that Canadians have to improve the electoral process.”
It’s believed the Liberals favour a ranked ballot system, but proportional representation and mandatory voting are also on the table.
The prime minister has promised the last election was the last one using the first past-the-post system.
The current make-up of the committee would have seen six Liberals, three Conservatives and one New Democrat, with a Bloc MP and the Green Party’s Elizabeth May on the committee but without a vote.
The NDP proposal changes that to five Liberals, three Conservatives, two New Democrats, one Bloc MP, May and a vote for everyone.
The motion, which would be binding if passed, would also mean the committee would begin meeting within 10 days.
